#14 - The Eternity Factor, Part Two

By Barry Reese

LAST ISSUE : Dane Whitman found himself transported onto a ship floating just outside Chronopolis, a guest of a mysterious being called Halcyon. Alongside Dane are all the Black Knights from throughout history!

Immortus leaned forward with mounting interest. A gloved hand stroked his beard as he watched the shifting sands of time. An unknowable number of realities had been wiped out by his Linear Warriors but he still seemed little closer to his goal.

"Patience," he reminded himself. "Sooner or later my plans will come to fruition...I merely have to show patience."

Dane Whitman's jaw hung open in shock. He had been led into the galley of the ship, where he was now confronted with a bizarre sight. Standing before him were almost thirty different men and women, all dressed in variations of his own Black Knight armor. There was a Knight dressed in Old West attire, one who looked like he'd stepped out of a Sherlock Holmes story, one who wore a hi-tech suit of armor that sizzled with power... so many different Black Knights that Dane immediately felt the weight of the legacy upon him. He really was just a standard bearer, one in a long line of Knights -- some evil, some good.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Nathan Garrett chuckled to himself. Nathan had been Dane's immediate predecessor as the Black Knight, an evil man who had helped formed the Masters of Evil. For Dane, it was an odd experience talking to Nathan -- in Dane's time, Nathan was long dead.

"Yes...it is. Disturbing, too. Why would Halcyon gather us all together? If he really means to storm Kang's fortress in Chronopolis why bother with the Black Knights? He could summon the Avengers from any number of time periods to fight for him..." Dane idly ran a hand over the hilt of his blade. It was sheathed at present, but the Sword of Light could be drawn if needed. He wondered if he could leave this ship whenever he wished -- ordinarily he could be transported to Avalon with little more than a thought but he had a feeling that Halcyon might have considered that in his plans.

"Ladies and gentlemen...I welcome you all." Halcyon's voice brought the idle chatting to a halt. The purple and red clad man stood in the center of the room, his gaunt face hidden by a hood. "I'm sure you have many questions -- and I promise to supply you with answers. But our time is brief -- the siege of Chronopolis must begin soon."

The Black Knight of 1888 stepped forward. He was tall and painfully thin, his body looking awkward in his armor. "I have heard you mention this several times since my arrival, but I do not understand the necessity of that action. Why should we attack this city? Unless answers are given, I'm afraid that the Ebony Blade won't be drawn by me..."

Scattered murmurs of assent greeted that statement and drew a smile from Halcyon. "I would expect no less from such an honorable Knight as yourself, Lord Garrett." Halcyon pushed a hand into his robe and drew forth a spinning globe. It was clear, though a white light circled within. "This will answer all your questions, my allies. Our tale begins with one Black Knight who is noticeably absent from our proceedings so far..."

Corben Whitman snorted. As the Black Knight of the 2080s he had little patience for long-winded fools like Halcyon. Corben had conquered Mount Wundagore and pillaged its secrets in less time than it was taking their host to reveal his intentions. He fingered the hilt of his energy sword -- if he didn't like the answers that he was about to get he would certainly make it known.

Dane Whitman frowned and stepped forward. He'd noticed someone missing when he'd first scanned the crew onboard -- two someones, actually. "Are you referring to Sir Percy of Scandia...or to the Black Knight of 2099? Neither are with us."

Halcyon's eyes glinted. He could see Corben Whitman's surprise at the mention of another Black Knight so soon after his own tenure -- leave it to Dane Whitman to cause a stir, Halcyon thought. "Actually the latter Black Knight will be along soon enough...I am speaking of the first Black Knight, the one from whom all others take after. Our current situation dates back to an incident which took place during the Fall of Camelot..." The sphere that Halcyon held darkened as scenes began to form within. Halcyon lifted it high so that all assembled could see into its depths as the images within began to move...and speak...

Sir Percy of Scandia lay on the ground, a terrible wound leaking his life's blood into the soil. Beside him, his helmet and sword lay just out of reach. The Black Knight looked up into the grinning face of Mordred and saw pure evil in the young man's eyes. "Camelot is fallen..." Percy murmured.

Warm spittle struck him in the face, stinging his eyes. "I curse you and all that Camelot stands for, Knight." Mordred's sneering tone made Percy's heart tighten in anger. "This is what comes of nobility and goodness -- there you lie, dying in the dirt." Mordred drove a hard kick into Percy's side, cracking his ribs.

The Black Knight closed his eyes, refusing to surrender to unconsciousness. He rose slowly, pushing himself off the ground. Mordred took a step back in both admiration and anxiety. "You are a cold, heartless fool, Mordred. There shall never be another Camelot -- it has been befouled by you and your damned Morgan! But I swear that you'll get your just desserts eventually..."

Mordred narrowed his eyes, his grin returning. "So you say, Knight. But not today and not at your hands." He turned with a flourish, stalking back towards the heart of the battle.

Sir Percy stood unsteadily on his feet, swaying gently. His vision was blurring and he knew that death was approaching. A steadily increasing field of white enveloped him, wrapping it in its embrace...

"Always the same. Always." The man's voice sounded sad, but more than a bit confused.

The Black Knight looked up with a start. He was standing in a strange room, facing a man dressed in purple and green. The strange man sat in a throne, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Who...? Am I...dead?"

Immortus raised an eyebrow. "No. Not yet, Sir Percy. But soon you shall die, yes."

"And who are you? How and why have I left the field of battle?"

Immortus rose slowly. "I have seen your death a thousand times...Again and again you face impossible odds. Again and again you perish. But to the end you fight on...and you inspire many to follow in your name."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Your words mean nothing to me."

The Lord of Time nodded, moving around the Black Knight. "I know. But even now -- plucked from the edge of death, brought to a strange place... you show no fear. I have seen many of your descendants do the same -- while others have masked their cowardice through mere words. What sets some of this family line of yours apart from the other? And what of redemption -- it was Nathan Garrett's dying wish, after all, that his nephew should redeem the Black Knight name. Was that enough to wash away his sins?"

"I grow weary of your wordgames, stranger. Either give me answers or send me back to the battlefield!"

Immortus stared at him for a long time before answering, "Go. Go to your death with a brave face, Sir Percy. I have no answers to give, save honest curiosity."

Percy started to speak but found the field of white surrounding him once more. He was returned a moment later to the field of death...

Halcyon lowered the sphere without a word, its interior dark and silent now. The room was equally quiet for only a moment. Dane Whitman drew the Sword of Light, holding it into the air. Light gleamed off its surface.

"That was hardly an answer of any kind! I'm afraid, Halcyon, that you thought I was bluffing earlier -- but you're wrong. If I have to pound the truth out of you, I will!"

Halcyon held up a hand, asking for peace. "Hold your hand, Knight. For what I just showed you is key... Immortus had first grown fascinated with the notion of heroism in the 20th Century. He'd sparred with the Avengers as Kang, of course, but it was an older and wiser Immortus who first saw them as worthy of respect. He was curious about them, seeking to understand why they would risk all for their ideals. Given his own complicated family tree, it made sense that he would eventually take a strong interest in the Black Knight -- a member of a long lineage of both heroes and villains. What set them apart from one another? Was it simply a matter of a medieval curse - that one Black Knight who fought for honor would always be followed by one who did the opposite? Or was it more?"

Stephen Garrett snapped his fingers. "I begin to understand! This Immortus -- he took an interest in our family line...in all of us here today. He watched over us, curious as you say."

Halcyon nodded. "Yes. He took quite an interest, indeed. He rarely took an active hand in your lives, though he did from time to time. With his army of Space Phantoms it was easy enough to manipulate you into the direction he wanted."

Dane flinched. He'd feared something like that was coming -- had that happened to his own life? Had Immortus been playing with him at any time? He reached into a pouch and fingered the pocketwatch that Immortus had given him*... "To what purpose? Just to study us like rats in a maze?"

(*Back in our classic sixth issue.)

Halcyon smiled. "Because he is a part of the line himself. Long after the Black Knight legacy had ended, Immortus -- before he was ever Rama-Tut or Kang or the Scarlet Centurion -- was born. And in his veins was the blood of both heroes and villains. When he was younger he had thought himself descended from the likes of Dr. Doom or Nathaniel Richards...but no. It was a different set of armor his ancestors had worn."

Dane swallowed. Could it be...? That his own descendant could have become someone like Kang or Immortus? Or were these just more lies from someone seeking to sow confusion? "And Immortus didn't realize he was related to the Black Knight legacy until he was older -- and interested in seeing whether or not he had the stuff of heroes within him...." Dane's words were spoken softly, but all heard them.

Halcyon nodded. "Yes."

"That still explains nothing. Not why we're here right now, nor why we're about to attack Kang."

"Immortus has a plan, Dane Whitman -- he seeks to find the original timeline, the one from which all others spawn. When he has found it, ultimate power shall be his."

Nathan Garrett grunted. "Then it sounds like we should be helping the chap -- better to be on the winning side and all. Besides, he's family."

Dane snarled, "Shut up, Nathan!" The Black Knight moved forward, grabbing a handful of Halcyon's robes. "So why are we here with Kang instead of trying to stop Immortus?"

Halcyon opened his mouth to speak but the ship suddenly rocked. Up on deck screams filled the air. The Black Knights dispersed immediately, each reacting to the sudden danger in their own way. Some rushed for the upper deck, others crowded towards the back of the ship, eager for some form of safety.

Dane Whitman was among the first to reach the deck. What he saw made his heart hammer with alarm. The ship upon which he stood was under assault -- by WW I era biplanes and futuristic spacecraft. Huge flying reptiles swooped low, one of them scooping up the Black Knight of the Old West.

Dane Whitman swore under his breath. He saw his fellow Black Knights engaging the enemy as best they could but he refused to waste his time in that manner. Instead, he looked towards the bow of the ship. There, standing with his hood thrown back and his eyes filled with an unnatural, mechanical glow, was Halcyon.

"Forward! Forward! Show no mercy to these time-displaced warriors, my Knights -- they are but fodder in our -- urk!" Dane's eyes went wide as a sword cut deep into Halcyon's body. Blood and oil spurted from the wound.

Climbing onto the ship was a figure dressed in chain mail, his long red hair flowing behind him. Water dripped from his mane. He held his dirtied sword up high and screamed, "In the name of the Supreme Kang I declare this ship to be property of Chronopolis!"

The Black Knight strode forward, moving the Shield of Night onto his arm. "And who might you be? Some poor fool that Kang's brainwashed?"

The newcomer stood over the dead body of Halcyon and adopted a battle stance. "I am Killraven, newly appointed leader of the Anachronauts -- and I am fated this day to be your killer!"

Written In Black

First of all, a note from me. This issue and the next will end the Black Knight series for MV1. The book will continue, however, and will continue to be written by me -- but not for MV1. The reasons for this are many but what it comes down to is the fact that I no longer wish to be affiliated with MV1 -- but I love this book too much to let it go. How will I handle the continuity of this book when it leaves MV1? You'll see -- but this time travel storyline is the perfect vehicle to lead into my non-MV1 stories. I hope you'll stick with me as the Black Knight series moves to its new home, wherever that may be. Finally, a note to those who might dislike the whole Dane/Kang connection -- hey, maybe it *is* all a pack of lies. The nice thing about Kang stories is you never really know...

TJ Burns wrote :

Hey Barry! Well, I really liked the opening chapter of The Eternity Factor. I loved the Black Knight of 1888. I'd like to see more of him some day. A living Nathan Garrett was a surprise, as was Karla's father Corben. The Ultron reality was very cool. I can't wait to see how all of this is going to turn out... and which side Sir Raston, the Black Knight after Percy of Scandia who served Kang the Conqueror will take in this fight. Keep up the great work!

Thanks, TJ. Don't worry -- I do indeed plan on using the Black Knight of 1888 again in the future. As for Sir Raston -- check out next ish.

Mark Bousquet reviewed BK 13 on the mv1talk list :

The first scene of this book was fantastic, an absolute perfect introduction to the Eternity Factor storyline. In fact, I almost wish the whole book was centered around the opening scene - not that what follows is bad - far from it - but that the first section was so enjoyable. Barry writes Dane extremely well - he has his "voice" down perfectly. Karla is an interesting character to boot and it will be interesting to see just how involved she is with the other Black Knights as this storyline progresses. It will be interesting to see Halcyon develop, as well, and how he differs from Immortus and Kang. Check this issue out if you haven't been reading BK (and shame on you if you haven't!) because it's the perfect jumping-on issue.

Wow -- thanks for the great review, Mark! I like to think that I've written Dane long enough that his 'voice' comes naturally to me. Dane took a backseat with this ish but he'll be in the forefront next issue. Hope you enjoy the rest of the arc.

Keep those letters coming!

Barry Reese